Vitamin D Therapy For Hypercalcemia

You must have calcium so you can have strong teeth and bones. You also need calcium for your heart and for the other muscles in the body. Too much calcium can lead to problems, however. You may experience nausea, vomiting, constipation and abdominal pains. There is treatment for this disorder, but it does not include vitamin D therapy.

Hypercalcemia

Hypercalcemia is the medical term to describe a high calcium level in the bloodstream. The normal range is 8.2 to 10.2 mg/dL. Thus, a level higher than 10.2 mg/dL is defined as hypercalcemia; a blood calcium level as high as 12 mg/dL is, therefore, also hypercalcemia, and a level this high can result in a coma and even death. Hypercalcemia can develop for several reasons; it can be the result of various tumors, kidney failure, parathyroid abnormalities and an excess of vitamin D.

The Role of Vitamin D

The parathyroid gland releases the parathyroid hormone when the level of calcium within the blood gets low, instructing both the bones and kidneys to raise the blood calcium level. The bones will release calcium into the bloodstream. The kidneys will reabsorb more calcium and they will also make the active form of vitamin D. The active form of vitamin D will make the intestines increase their absorption of calcium.

The Causes of Hypercalcemia

There are four parathyroid glands; if one or more than one releases too much of the parathyroid hormone, this can lead to hypercalcemia. This is, in fact, the main cause of a high calcium level within the bloodstream. A parathyroid tumor, called a parathyroid adenoma, can also lead to hypercalcemia because the tumor releases the parathyroid hormone without abiding by any controls. Kidney failure can cause a high blood calcium level as the parathyroid gland releases hormone, trying to get the kidney to make the active vitamin D.

Therapy for Hypercalcemia

Vitamin D therapy is not a treatment for someone with hypercalcemia, since vitamin D will instruct the intestines to absorb even more calcium, raising the blood calcium level even higher. The physician will treat the high level by finding and treating the cause, and by lowering the blood calcium to the normal range if the level is very high. Saline fluids and corticosteroids may be used. Calcitonin and bisphosphonates medications will stop the release of calcium by the bones.